Firestarter
by Chicago Typewriter
Summary: The Wizarding community's crowded with computers and internet... and Malfoy Security Systems. What happenes when Ginny, a hacker, alias Firestarter, reduces the company to rubble? Will Malfoy ever forgive her? DG
1. Trespassing

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or anything concerning Harry Potter, I am not making a profit out of this.

**Firestarter**

Author's Note: Some of you may recognize this story (word for word, I may add). The original name it was posted under is Clear Candles, but certain things like a forgotten password and deleted email address stopped me from being able to access my old account so… I'm reposting with the intention of continuing.

**1: Trespassing**

Ginny Weasley stared intently at her computer screen. She sat in the middle of technical chaos, in an orange chair. All around her were computer towers, a mess of floppy disks lying in a pile, and burned CDs. She was the computer genius of her family, and probably the only one in the magic world. The room was dark and the only source of light was her alarm clock which read 11:05 pm, and the flat screen plasma monitor before her.

How did computers arrive on the Wizarding World? After the end of the Great War between Voldemort and the boy-who-lived, Muggle technology wormed its way into the Wizarding world, capturing the attention of the many occupants of the magical world. The way computers work fascinated Ginny, and several other people, including her father, to no end, and finally came her hobby of hacking into her brother's easy Dell.

Smiling, she looked to the corkscrew board that was in her plain view and she studied the Daily Prophet's bold, blinking headline of two days ago.

_FIRESTARTER: The New Threat._

A computer hacker, alias the name of Firestarter, has become the new terrorist threat of computers in our world, and the Muggle world. The offender destroys the computer's hard drive, making the computer useless and unfixable. No software has been able to stop the hacker, and how the computers are being destroyed is unknown, but the notorious Firestarter leaves a simple message: "Firestarter, Find the Heat of the Core" in front of an animated file of flames and a pair of bright Dragon's eyes. The Ministry is using all technology, but the attacker cannot be traced. We advice everyone to use Malfoy System Protection for temporary safety.

Ginny rocked back and smiled. Everyone she knew was buying Internet security programs, but she always broke through. A few slowed her down but she always managed to worm in their records. She watched at the computer flashed, and the word Processing… appeared, and then she was in. The screen filled itself with several portals, and she quickly got into the Ministry of Magic's records. "Ooh. Let's see. Wow, Harry you're the top Auror for next month, and the month after. Congratulations, buddy." she said her voice dripping with sarcasm. She went through a couple of screens before breaking into Gringotts. She checked every account and the map that had moving dots, people, which were labeled by name, and by vault number. She spied Hermione at Harry's vault, taking fifty galleons.

"Hermione, you thief. I bet that's probably for Harry, right?" Ginny murmured, smiling evilly. Her wrist worked hard as she closed all the windows and she leaned forward, and hesitated before typing. _Should I? _She wondered, idly.

She hesitated for only another second before she began to type furiously, slithering her way past several systems, and breaking into Malfoy System Protection. It was the largest security system in the Wizarding world. Security and firewall for computers, homes and Gringotts were protected by it. And it was the only system that had ever managed to stop her. Her foot began to jiggle up and down with anticipation, and nervousness. She always expected someone to jump out at her from her closet, and demand why she was breaking into every system she could find. She hit the enter key with a sharp jab and watched the screen.

_Accessing…._

_Processing…/User name not valid: **Login Denied.**_

"Damn," Ginny cursed, but leaned forward clicked twice on a bright red portal, and started typing furiously again, only this time, to Ginny's delight, her screen read:

_**Correct Password/Login Name**_

_Welcome to Malfoy Bank and Computer Security Systems_. Ginny stared at the screen and a wide smile splitting her features. She swiveled her chair and pulled a black, sticker covered binder from under an Apple laptop. It had over one hundred pages of but she had only used fifty, and all they were scribbled with Ginny's messy scrawl that tried to pass for writing, all the places she's hacked into. Her hair brushed the page and she saw that her last entry was: IP Cornelius Fudge, Password: pinstripes.

She gripped the pencil hard and wrote down Malfoy's company, the router, the proxy, and portal and added, 'easy as pie' and without bothering to close it, threw the binder to the floor. She tucked her pencil, a habit she' always wanted to break, in her ear and turned back to the wide screen.

The screen showed over sixty camera angles in sharp images of every turn of that underground vaults of Gringotts and she saw the account number and password of every individual person registered with Malfoy Security. She licked her lips when she leaned forward and bent over her computer and typed an address quickly on her customized Run command. The screen stayed how it was for a couple of seconds before going black and then she entered the very core of the program. She chuckled evilly and leaned back, and watched as the computer analyzed the make up of the program and planted a few minor bugs in its server.

She closed her eyes and let herself fall into the monotone hum and of her computer. Her sudden, loud ring tone of her cell phone that was buried under all her technology jerked her out of her peaceful state and she jolted as if she had just been shocked. Her feet kicked out and connected with a stiff object before every blacked out. She had hit the plug on the wall, and disconnected the cords. She scrambled under the old desk, banging her knees on the floor when she slid down the chair and twisted under her desk, she felt for the main plug while the back-up batteries hummed to life and she slid the cord into its socked and held it there until she heard the beep and, risking a cracked head, she shot upwards, barely avoiding the edge of the desk, she peered over the desk to the screen and froze.

On the screen was a message in omimous red letters, with an exclamation mark flashing in the middle.

_Computer has been disconnected. All data will be erased; all programs accessed will be deleted._

"Oh, no, no, no!" she moaned, slid back to her chair and typed furiously, watched everything she typed and prayed that she would have time and at the exact moment when she hit enter, the screen went blank. She held her breath, her heart beating in her ears._ Oh man_, Ginny thought, _it said all programs will be erased; my signature always comes automatically, that means that Malfoy has no data._ NO DATA. No data means, no security, no security means, anyone can access anyone's vault, if anyone can do that, then… Ginny stared at the screen and let head fall when a clean desktop appeared in front of her as of the computer was never touched.

"Ah, piece of shit." she cursed and leaned forward and proceeded to do clean up her main computer. The computer was wiped clean of any data whatsoever, so she leaned back her head hanging over the chair.

"Well, Ginny. You've done it this time." She muttered.

"Mr. Malfoy! Welcome, are you ready for the presentation?" A burly man, with brown hair, Jack Salmon, shook hands with Draco Malfoy, as he smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Jack, has there been any progress on the Firestarter?" he asked leaning closer to the man, who shook his head.

"We've tried to track down by IP, by hardware purchase, but nothing. All we came up with that Ginevra Weasley purchased over fifteen towers. Just two computer screens, eighteen towers, sixty-four of the fastest processors, and a lot of media accessories; we couldn't really put her on the look out list because owns her own online and actual shop and people usually buy that amount of equipment when they own a shop."

Draco nodded. He had been to the Ginny's shop. His mother loved it. Ginny's shop was purely based on vintage clothing and accessories. She had expanded it, recently, to be a bookstore that rivaled the very famous Flourish and Blott's and Borders, as well as a coffee shop.

He had seen the weasel in the back of shop when he was purchasing a gift for his mother. She had been sitting in a bright purple chair, her feet propped on the counter, concentration written all over her features. When he had ventured closer, her eyes had flicked to him, then back to her iBook without a second glance or trace of recognition. He remembered she had worn a bright, disgustingly pink, silk button up top that clashed horribly with her hair but didn't look so bad on her body, and a black pinstriped skirt. She had been shoeless.

He also remembered that she was beautiful; her skin glowing in the light on the screen, and she the tilt of her head was fascinating as she shook her mane of red hair.

"I'll see you after the meeting," he said to Jack as he walked into the boardroom, carrying his laptop.

For a moment he lost his nerve in front of the ten people from the biggest security company in the world. He nodded pleasantly, and he hoped they would buy his program so he can finally retire and live at home. He broke out into a friendly smile and opened the laptop. He made it face the ten executives and broke out into a speech.

"Since the fall of the Dark Lord, we have found ourselves flooded with Muggle technology, good technology, we have had many improvements, but there made ah… snags. One is the Firestarter. Though their identity has been rather hard to discover, they have proved to be very strong and very talented in the computer technology, and although Malfoy Security has slowed the individual down, we, all of England, need the protection of In-Lab Security, and tracking systems. Our programs, as you can see-." he stopped, bile building in his throat. He glanced up and quickly back down when he saw the confused looks in the eyes of the executives, and stared down at the screen. _Not possible_, was his first thought.

His skin froze cold as his hope to finally sell Malfoy Security and no longer deal with it fell away. The screen was white and, as if it was almost real, the "page" burned away and in bold red letters, there was one word. **Firestarter**.

"You-," someone began.

"I'd like to re-schedule the meeting." Draco said, snapped his laptop shut and walked out of the room as fast as his legs, which seemed to have turned to lead, would take him. His stomach had just turned to stone and he swallowed the bile that had just climbed up his throat.

"What-?" Jack asked, but the pale look on Draco's face just answered his question. He felt a cold chill come over him as they both walked into Draco's office.

"The Firestarter is going to regret ever taking his first breath." Draco growled when Jack tried to pull up the main core of the System but just saw a tiny, burning animated flame that grew every second. Jack grew pale as he logged into every account and only saw a burning flame on every empty file.

"We- do we have back-up files?" Jack asked weakly and kept trying.

"No. We emptied out most of the files when they were taking up too much space. I don't what we did with them." No Malfoy Security, meant no program, that meant, no people wanting the best Security, that meant no money, that meant his company would be gone, and then meant that his was going bankrupt. For a very long second, he panicked, and closed his eyes.

"We still have the programs, we can recreated them out them." Draco said, jumping up, a tiny glimmer of hope in a dark tunnel. A plan was already being hatched inside his mind. He could report to the executives. No- he could _warn _them about this fiend that was able to break though Malfoy's very own firewalls.

"Draco, that could take months!" Jack said, but Draco wasn't paying attention. His face was drawn and the look in his eyes meant that Jack was going to have to stay up a lot for the next couple of months.

"Listen, Malfoy Security is every thing in these boxes, that's all it is, programs, and if we can blend them together, fill in some blanks from the original files we can recreate it." Draco calculated. "We would need to communicate with the executives that the Firestarter's not to be ah… underestimated."

Jack looked slightly doubtful but he could do it. Draco had already walked out of the office, hearing all the cries of confusion when every time one of his workers tried to log in, but found a burning flame. He sat on a bench outside his office building in Diagon Alley, with his head in his hands; he just couldn't help but to think. His foundation was gone, and it had to be re-created by scraps of what programs they had developed.

Unbeknownst to him, Ginny was walking to his office, clutching the strap of a messenger bag. In just the few seconds that Ginny Weasley kicked the power cord and destroyed Draco's company. How ironic.

Ginny was beyond nervous as she got closer to the old building that held Draco's company. She stopped when she saw Draco, sitting on the pretty concrete bench, his head in his hands. She subconsciously, started to turn around and head back home. She knew they couldn't find her, they'd have a contingency plan to recreate the software, but she was responsible. She squared her shoulders. It was either a win-win situation, or a lose-lose situation. She knew which one she preferred.

"Malfoy?" A small voice made him lift his head out of his hands. His eyes stayed carefully blank as he recognized her.

"I- Um. I have to talk to you." She stuttered. When he didn't move she swallowed. What if they already knew? "Its about your … company." _Or what's left of it_, she thought grimly. His eyes flashed, and she was tempted to take a step back.

_Your mess, Ginny_.


	2. The Not Exactly True Truth

Author's Note: I'm aware that all the computer talk might be little confusing to some, but I'll try to simplify later. Or elaborate on it.

**2: The Not Exactly True… Truth**

Malfoy gazed at her nervous expression with confusion. The little weasel was scared… but she had mentioned his company, hadn't she? Did that mean she knew about the Firestarter? She knew something, no doubt, but her eyes flicked back and forth from his face to the ground with… guilt? Malfoy stared at her.

_Stop staring! _Ginny yelled mentally. She was sure he was looking into her head. The look he was giving her made her feel like she was being dissected from head to toe. Like she was a piece of meat.

"What are you talking about?" Malfoy asked, suspiciously. "There's nothing wrong with the company."

Ginny frowned, ready to say, _I deleted everything, you idiot! _But instead, looked around. She was sure everyone was staring at her. Them.

"Can I just talk to you?" She pleaded, clutching her messenger bag.

"Are you going to waste my time?"

"No! I- I only - Look. I really need to tell you something." She lowered her voice, shifting from one foot to the other. Why was it so hot all of the sudden? She looked up at him and saw the consideration. The little weasel knew something.

"Alright." Without saying anything else, he turned and the tinted glass doors of the office opened, and cold air hit her like a fist. She knew after she told him she was going to end in Azkaban. There was no doubt about it she was in for it. Ginny shuddered and followed his black robes to an elevator. _Great._ Ginny though. _I hate awkward elevator moments._

Ginny slid into the handsome elevator, and bit her lip, as she was sure as soon as those elevator doors closed, she was sealing her own fate. Ginny tapped her foot once, and glanced at Draco, who was studying her. Draco tapped the elevator door and it started moving up with a jolt that tore a yelp from her lips. One minute later, Draco tapped the elevator door again, and it stopped. Ginny waited for the door to open, but was startled when Malfoy turned to her and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Alright, Weasley. What do you know?" Malfoy asked silkily, and tensed when a look of pure panic crossed her face. He knew people wanted to use the elevator, but it was too damn bad, he owned the damn building.

"W- What?" Ginny stuttered. His domineering presence was quickly chipping away at her built self-control and defenses. Her heart began to thump faster and she found herself drawing several deep breaths when his eyes narrowed and suspicion hung thick in the air. I- I… I know the Firestarter!" She nearly bellowed, the lie spilling from her lips before she could stop herself. Instantly, she clamped a hand over her mouth, and stared at him with horror.

"Do you?" Malfoy asked slowly and his own heart began to thump. Could it be? Was she lying? No, or else she wouldn't look so terrified. He gazed at her with the full force of his eyes.

_Stop staring at me like that you stupid ferret! _"Yeah. I mean. Yes. I do. I keep contact wit her because she's… well, that's not the point. I'm not involved with what she does because it's criminal – I mean, a crime and I just want to tell you that… I know what happened." She finished lamely when she ran out of air. She stared at his rather expensive shoes and stiffened when they took a step closer. She couldn't help it, she looked up and she gulped when his eyes were narrowed, and look of pure distaste was written all over his features.

"And how does that help me?" He said lowly, his voice slightly menacing.

"It… I feel responsible… I just want to help! Stop looking at me like a deceased rat, Malfoy." Ginny yelled, her temper making her bold. She squared her shoulders, and gazed at him.

She was fascinating! The angle of her jaw and the line of her neck were shadowed, but he still found his eyes flicking back to that spot. Then the defiant look on her face made her cheeks pink and her eyes flare with irritation.

"Who is she?" He nearly whispered, leaning closer watching the surprise and panic flick across her eyes.

"I can't tell you."

"Blast it! The how are you supposed to help?!" Draco grabbed her upped arms in a firm grasp and nearly shook her. "Don't you understand? There is nothing to fix, nothing to salvage. The only shot we have is to recreate what took three years to properly generate by the best software designers out there!" Draco yelled and this time, he did shake her. His frustration and rage showed this time and Ginny felt as if he had slapped her across the face.

"Morgan Burdett." She said softly, avoiding his gaze, but when his fingers tightened she winced and looked up at him.

"What? How do you know him?" Draco asked, and this time he was too confused. How did this little weasel know the man who had generated the main core of the program? She looked at him, and he saw the flash of something that gave her out in her eyes.

"Her. Morgan Burdett is a woman. She's my best friend. I helped her create your core, Malfoy. If you had looked closer, you would have seen it." Ginny warbled out. This time she was telling the truth. Morgan Burdett had been her roommate, best friend, sister since the day Morgan saved her from the Killing curse in a battle. Morgan had been ambitious, and reckless, driving herself to the top of the software companies in Europe. Now her headquarters in China had separated her and Ginny, but that didn't stop the phone calls, emails and actual letters they sent. Now that Morgan was wealthy beyond Ginny's belief, she had helped Ginny start off her own shop. The guilt that filled her when she mentioned her name made her wince. She should have brought her friend into this.

"I would have seen what?" Draco asked, his own temper spiking.

"Did you people ever run a search for 'weasel.exe'?" Ginny asked, a smile trying to form on her lips.

His people had. Draco thought back to when they had first ran the core and he had laughed at all that file. When he had asked Morgan what the hell was that file, she had responded simply. "Delete it, and you might as well take a blow torch and burn your company to pieces." Draco had shrugged, but he knew enough about programming to know that that file was the router of all commands possible on the core. Draco looked down at her face.

"You wrote the base of my company." Draco stated.

"A piece of it." Ginny felt like shuddering at the gaze he gave her. "Morgan paid me. She always trouble with that piece of code."

"And why do you want to help?" Draco's voice was calm now.

The question threw her off. Sure, it was her fault Malfoy's company was absolute rubble, but how could she answer that without giving herself away? The confusion must have shown on her face because Malfoy felt a humorless smile work onto his face.

"Alright, Weasley. We need to talk to Morgan Burdett." Draco said and tapped the door to the elevator. The elevator began to move again and Ginny felt some of the tension release when he turned away from her so he couldn't see her face.

The silence grew thick and when the elevator doors opened at the very top, Ginny sighed and then flushed when elevator doors opened and a large crowd of people wearing not-so-pleased expressions stared at them. Ginny blushed when eyes darted from Malfoy to her, scrutinizing her flushed face and simple clothes. Pride had her squaring her shoulders, and without a glance his way she elbowed her way through the crowd.

"How long where we in there for?" Ginny mumbled to herself.

"Half an hour." Was the reply from a displeased woman in dark red robes, and Ginny flushed again, this time mumbling a curt apology.

"In my office, Weasel." Malfoy said, and gazed at her when she flushed, but this time in anger.

"My name is not weasel." _Maybe I should have left your company in ruins, _Ginny thought.

He cast her a bemused glanced. "Ginevra. My office." He repeated, and watched her fume into his spacious office. He shut the door behind him, and nodded to Jack who was staring at him through the window of his own office.

He slid behind his desk and into the high backed leather chair. He slid an address book from the corner of his desk while Ginny watched, apprehension building. She watched Malfoy leaf through packed pages and bit her lip when he stopped, and walked to the fireplace in front of his desk. She had placed herself strategically in the middle of the room so she was behind Draco who picked up white powder from the mouth of a bowl the shape of a roaring lion. When he threw the powder into the fire, he activated the Floo network in his office so the flames turned bright purple before turning green.

"Morgan Burdett Software, this is Draco Malfoy." Draco said in a clear voice to the fire. Ginny stared at the flames, hoping Morgan was out. When the flames turned yellow Ginny swallowed and when Morgan's pretty head appeared, she sighed.

"Hello? Ginny?" Morgan's voice cut through the telephone like a knife. Back home, Ginny lay back on her bed and cradled the phone to her ear.

"Yes, Morgan?" She asked dejectedly, and waited. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Morgan's came fast.

"What the hell is going on? I don't appreciate lying to my top buyer, Ginny. You better have a damn good explanation for not telling him you ruined him." Morgan's angry voice added to the new headache Ginny just developed. The meeting with Morgan had been nerve-wracking. The confusion had shown on her face when Draco said the Firestarter had destroyed the core, and there was the Firestarter, right next to him looking so panicked Morgan had only nodded, and asked what she could do to help. When Morgan had said that yes, Ginny had built a piece of the program, Draco rocked back on his heels and turned to look at Ginny. When he did that, Morgan sent Ginny a very pissed off look that quickly changed to professional composure when Draco turned back. Ginny had walked down the block after being dismissed from his office and had slid into her loft without a sound. Then she had immediately sat down and questioned her own sanity.

"Its… a long story." Ginny said, and was cut off.

"Shut up and tell me." Morgan snapped, fuming.

"Do you remember your last letter?" Ginny asked, and covered her eyes with her hand.

"The one I sent last week? With the picture of that really hot guy?" Morgan asked and then shook her head.

"Yes. That one. That wasn't really hot." Ginny said.

"Don't change the subject." Morgan warned, although the anger was fading.

"Well. You told me all about Malfoy, and his company but I didn't like how you said…" Ginny sighed, and continued, "I didn't like how you said that even I might have trouble hacking into that one." Ginny finished lamely. There was another short pause.

"Ginny. That's stupid. That's not reason to ruin-."

"I didn't mean to! All I did was just break into it, I watched the map for a little bit, and then I was going to sign off, I swear!" Ginny defended.

"Then you somehow got the urge to delete every file I created?" Morgan finished icily.

"No! Look, I was leaning back in that stupid chair and the phone rang and I kicked the cord." Ginny explained quickly, closing her eyes.

"You kicked the cord? But that wouldn't do anything, just disconnect you." Morgan paused, an idea forming. "Unless…"

"Unless I used Morgan Software's IIe, that was edited to make sure that everything the computer deleted everything it was hooked up to when the power went out." Ginny finished.

"You edited IIe to do that? How?" Morgan asked.

"I had to change some stuff. It took some time, but it worked. Too well." Ginny added. "Look, Morgan, it was an accident, and I fully intend to fix it." She said and sighed. Life was very, very bad right now.

"Why haven't you told him you're the Firestarter?" Morgan asked, her lips pursed.

"Are you joking? He'd send me to the Muggle and Wizard authorities in under twenty seconds." Ginny said, "With glee too because I'm a Weasley. And I ruined his company."

"Alright. You have too tell him sooner or later, or he's going to find out." Morgan warned, "I might have some files in the archives. I'll run it through tomorrow. Don't mess up, Gin."

"I wont. Bye, Morgan." Ginny hung up, and rolled onto her stomach. The phone rang once more and she picked up without looked at the number.

"What?" She asked testily.

"Is that how you talk to your future employer?" the familiar drawling voice asked.

"No. I'm tired." Ginny said and opened her eyes. How the hell did Malfoy get her number?

"Well, I need in my office tomorrow morning." Malfoy said.

"I'm working tomorrow!" Ginny exclaimed, sitting upright on her bed.

"Yes, precisely. In my office." Draco chuckled.

"No, I mean, my shop!" Ginny stuttered, and waved her hand erratically.

"I suggest you find a replacement. Temporary, because you'll be worked for me for the next ah… three months."

"Great."

"My thoughts exactly. Seven o'clock weasel. Don't be late." And hung up before she could reply. Ginny threw the phone down and rubbed her eyes. The guilt was absolutely eating her alive! She lay back down, and pulled her back and white-stripped blanket on top of her. Three months of working for a Malfoy couldn't possibly be so bad.

If only she knew.

-

AN: The aforementioned IIe is a cheap **fictional** system restore/antivirus program that was developed but never sold.


	3. Of Bad Days and Transvestites

Author's Note: I meant to post this earlier but college tends to suck the life of out a slacker (me).

**3: Of Bad Days and Transvestites**

"Blast it!" Ginny growled and felt for her wand that she thought she had left on the nightstand. Her hand felt the long familiar wood of her wand and she flicked it at the bells over her head. The stopped jingling immediately and Ginny pulled the pillow over her face. "Stupid ferret thinking he can just order me to his fancy offices and order me to work, stupid bleached headed maggot." She muttered and winced when the bells began to jingle again.

"Alright, I'm up!" She yelled.

"That's good to hear."

Ginny shrieked and sat up, tossing the pillow at the familiar voice.

"Harry! What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me!" Ginny shook her bright red hair and realized she was in a skimpy white tank top.

"I'm actually delivering a message from Luna, she says she arrived at your shop and she'll be glad to look after it, and to let you know that you should probably put some garlic on your door since the Ministry's recently leaked something about a storm of ravenous Vampires."

"Come again?" Ginny blinked when Harry laughed.

"Seriously. She said she would have sent you an owl, but doesn't trust the pixies they have sent after her." Harry said, trying to keep his face solemn.

"You're joking." Ginny sighed and slid out of bed. "Thanks Harry."

"Are you really working for Malfoy?" Harry asked, appreciating the view and she bent over to find her slippers.

"What? Luna, you big mouthed- Yes, I'm working for Malfoy. It's a temporary sentence. He expects me to be there by seven." Ginny said and missed the top of the bed by millimeters as she shot up.

"Ten you better hit that dusty trail. It's six forty."

"Shut up! Oh no!" Ginny howled and pushed past Harry into the bathroom. Chuckling to himself, he slid the towel from the hook by her closet and hung it on the door handle of her bathroom, and disapparated after taking a quick look around.

"Unbelievable!" Ginny raged as she speed showered, washing her hair and face at the same time. Exactly five minutes later, Ginny emerged from the bathroom, wet and dripping, tripping over the towel and drying off as she hurried into her room for her clothes. She decided it was hopeless to look professional when everything she tried on looked as if she had just thrown it on. Deciding on a white button up blouse and a red skirt, and matching pumps, she threw her hair into a bun and slid on eyeliner as she brushed her teeth.

"I'm late!" She muttered quickly when she jammed her laptop and several random items into her messenger bag. At exactly six fifty-five, she appeared in from of the Malfoy Offices and strode in, her face livid.

She made a straight beeline to the elevator in a long, ground-eating stride and jammed herself in along with several annoyed executives when she bumped into four of them at the same time. Ginny's mouth was set in a hard, thin line when someone pushed past her, and the doors closed.

Needless to say, she was not in a cheery mood when the doors opened and she walked out of the elevator and into the main offices of Malfoy's company. She strode past the cubicles and didn't bother returning the puzzled stares of people already putting the program back together. She strode past closed in offices until she reached the on at the vary end. Her mouth pulled into a snarl at the name glued on the glass in a fine, bold script.

_**Draco Malfoy**_

She pushed open the door and stared at the tall, statuesque blonde in a blood red suit sitting at a fancy glass topped desk, a fingernail filer held to her delicate perfect hands.

"Where is he?" She asked, trying to keep her voice civil when the blonde's perfect mouth puckered in distaste at Ginny's outfit and hair. The blonde set down the nail filer and opened her mouth to reply, her eyes still on Ginny's attire.

"Your name?" The voice was high and throaty. It was a definite candidate for the award for Best Phone Sex. Ginny opened her mouth to say something incredibly rude when she felt a presence behind her. Gritting her teeth, she tensed,

"You're two minutes late, Weasley." The drawling voice made her teeth clench.

"Should have let him fry." She seethed, her voice low.

"What was that?" Malfoy inquired, his eyebrows rising when he saw the furious look on her face.

"Nothing. I said good morning." She snapped and glared.

"I see. You're two minutes late."

"I heard you the first time." Ginny bit her tongue at the urge to add a few of the obscenities she was thinking of.

"A reason?" Malfoy inquired, and was surprised the top of her head didn't blow off.

"Bad morning." She bit out.

"Ah. I hope it wont happen again?" Why did he enjoy the death look she sent his way? Or the way her hand fisted around the crystal handle to his office? He sent her a smile that made her eyes blacken.

"It won't." She ground her teeth. Oh how she wished she could punch that amused smile from his face? She could almost see it, her fist shooting out and sending him sprawling. She smiled in satisfaction.

"I know you're thinking of the best way to cause my immediate pain, Weasley." Draco added.

"You have no idea." She muttered darkly.

"I've placed your office right next to mine. It's an open office." He continued as thought she had never spoken. Draco motioned to the door-less office right next to his and Ginny saw an Apple computer already set up, as well as a phone and a pink stack of post-its.

"Uh huh."

Ginny turned around. Her office was at the very corner of the huge room, and she could count the cubicles that sat in front of her and Draco's office. Her mind processed the muted talk and the sound of keyboards.

"That's Jack's office, you can go to him or me if you have any questions."

"I have one." Ginny stared all the people who seemed intently focused.

"Yes?"

"What the hell am I supposed to be doing?" Ginny asked, and turned to Draco.

"I thought that'd be quite obvious." Draco said mildly.

"I'm not telepathic." She snarled.

"Right. Shame. The goal is simple. Recreate Malfoy Security in three months."

"Three months? You're crazy." Ginny exclaimed and stared. It took over a year to develop the actual base and some of the branches of the program. To expect the whole thing in three months was just insane.

"I've got fifty – fifty one- people working on it." He said as if that solved it. "I'll be in my office." With that he turned and walked into the office.

Ginny stood there for a moment, gauging her options, since this was after all, her fault. "Malfoy!" She called and strode into the office, and saw him see him standing too close to the blonde, his hand on her skinny shoulder, and a purely male smile across his features. You look perfect together, Ginny thought and stepped close enough to hear what the blonde was saying.

"I thought you only hired people have taste, Draco. Did you _see_ her hair?" The blonde purred, her face turned away from Ginny, and flashed perfect whites in a seductive smile at Malfoy, who chuckled, his hand rubbing her shoulder. Ginny's temper flared, and she tried to picture the best way to shave the blonde's hair.

"Be nice, Jessica." He said and spotted Ginny standing five feet away, her mouth curled at the blonde. Rusty spoons, she thought.

"Ginny, this is Jessica, my secretary. Jessica, Ginny."

"Jessica." Ginny said slowly. "Did you know you share your name with countless and countless of transvestites?" She asked, and was pleased to see the blonde's perfect creamy skin tinge red in anger. "I can see that you're busy, Mr. Malfoy, I'll came back when you're … free." Ginny said and turned on her heel, and shot Jessica a wide smile, but made sure the Weasley evilness showed in her eyes.

"This is preposterous." Ginny muttered as she walked back into her office. She didn't know why she had felt that telltale flame of jealousy when she had seen Draco – _Malfoy_- slobbering all over Jessica the Transvestite. She sat in the comfortable black leather chair in front of her glass desk and stared and looked around. Her gaze snapped to the phone and she stared dubiously at it. She picked it up, a wary expression on her face.

"Hello?"

"Ginny?" The dreamy voice asked slowly.

"Luna?" Ginny demanded and sat up straight, worry immediately flaring. "What's wrong? Is everything at the shop okay? Don't tell me! Oh wait, yes! Tell me!"

"Everything's fine, I just wanted to ask you how your new job's going." Luna said serenely, smiling at a group of boys who were staring at Luna.

"Everything's …as okay as it can get." Ginny said and rolled her eyes. She leaned back and let the chair fall back until she was almost horizontal. "How's the shop?"

"Great. You have a lot of people coming. When can I have lunch?" Luna said, and Ginny heard the noise of her antique cash register and her heart warmed. She missed her shop.

"Anytime. Around 12 preferably, people always go get their lunch by then and rarely go into the shop. How's Romilda holding up the café?" Ginny asked and moved the mouse, pleased to see all the programs she needed were in the Dock.

"Fine. Better than me. She keeps sending dirty looks my way, though, I'm going to see if its because her socks don't match." Luna said and Ginny laughed.

"Alright, call me if you have any problems, okay? Thanks again Luna."

"It's quite alright. Bye, Gin."

"Bye." Ginny said smiling, her mood lifted.

Ginny hung up the phone, and surveyed huge screen. Less than ten seconds later, windows popped up and she was surveying fifty windows, each one working of different parts of the core. The actual base itself was missing. When she inquired, she received a very simple 'that's your job, Miss. Weasley.' Sighing, she wiggled her fingers began to type furiously.

III

"Bloody Malfoy." Ginny muttered, pouring a cup of hot, steamy coffee in a mug from the lounge. The clock said it was one, which was lunchtime, which meant that her day was soon over. Ginny didn't remember the last time she had sat for more than two hours spiting out code. Her fingers were numb, and her eyes hurt from staring so intently at the screen so Ginny rubbed them vigorously, blowing out a breath.

She leaned against the pretty cornflower blue counter and sipped her coffee, her mind wandering. Malfoy had walked in a few times while she had been working; standing behind her, not saying a word and leaving a few minutes later.

Ginny suppressed the shiver that rippled though her system. Every time he had walked in her muscles had tensed, and she was electrifyingly aware of his presence. She picked up a scone from the small silver platter and nibbled, silently. She didn't hear Malfoy come in.

He didn't move. Her eyes were distant; a small line between her brows told him that she was thinking. The fire truck red skirt, and ankle-strapped blood red pumps had never seemed so sexy to him.

"Stop it." Her voice made his eyes snap from her neck to her eyes. Her jaw was set and her eyes defiant.

"Stop what?"

"Staring. It's unnerving." Ginny said and swallowed. She had seen the hunger in his eyes and it had scared her in a primal level that if she didn't already loathe him, she would have jumped him.

"Unnerving?" Annoyance flashed across her face.

"Yes. That's annoying." She ground out.

"Annoying?"

"Yes. That!" She resisted the urge to stomp her foot. "Stop repeating everything I say, I'm not a child."

"No. No, you aren't." His gaze was fixed intensely on her neck, and his voice was deeper. Ginny swallowed when he seemed to float towards her, and her fingers shook when his hand cupped the back of her neck. Her knees weakened, but she stayed perfectly still, watching his eyes – lips- come closer to hers. _Oh, dear Merlin_, she thought, and her eyes slid partway closed when his lips teased hers.

Her fingers were now limp and the coffee cup slid from them and shattered between them. Ginny snapped back, her eyes wide, and she pulled out her wand, her breathing heavy.

"_Scourgify!_" She cried, and the black puddle, and remains of the mug disappeared. She flicked her wand and the droplets disappeared from his and her shoes.

"Weasley." Draco began, but stopped when she leveled a cool face to him.

"Yes?" She replied blandly, thanking Merlin that he couldn't hear her heart pounding.

"Nothing." He said and stood stock still a she slid around him, her heels making no noise on the carpeted floors. "I'd like to try that again." He said softly.

**R/R!**


	4. Emails

I know this took a while, and I'm sorry. I'll try to update sooner!

**4: Emails**

**From: ****roonilwazlibthemagicministry.wiz**

**To: gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!**

**5/23/05**

My dearest sister,

Just what in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?

Catastrophically yours,

Ron

**To: roonilwazlibthemagicalministy.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!**

**5/23/05**

Gee, I don't know, Ron.

I think this is called working.

So, this is why you wouldn't give me your email! I told you not to write your name with Fred and George's quills, _ROONIL_.

Bugger off,

Ginny

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**From: ****roonilwazlibthemagicalministry.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?**

**5/23/05**

Don't get smart with me, young lady.

Why are you working for Malfoy?

Wait! Don't tell me. He tricked you didn't he?

Ron

**To: roonilwazlibthemagicalministy.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: Shut up, Ron**

**5/23/05**

He didn't. It's a long story. I'll tell you if you promise not to tell mum.

PS: Did Hermione say something about dinner?

**From: morganburdettmorgansecurities.wiz**

**To: gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: Weasley Weasley Weasley!**

**Attached: Malfoy.exe(867mb)**

**5/23/05**

Ginny!

How's working for Draco being? Good? Despicable?

Well, I have good news, I found pieces of the core in the archives. I'm sending them after I send you this. Actually, nevermind, I've attached them.

How's the family? Is Percy still being a jackass?

Tell me, is that blonde still working as Draco's secretary?

Love,

Morgan.

**From: gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: morganburdettmorgansecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: Weasley Weasley Weasley!**

**5/23/05**

Want to know something that's just annoying? He likes to hulk behind me for five minutes, all quiet and I get freaked out because I forget its him and I keep thinking he wants to kill me or something, its really annoying. I was expecting him to drive us like slaves since he wants us to finish the core in three months.

I think he's crazy.

The family's okay, mostly. They won't stop emailing me, Ron especially. Percy's too proud to admit he's wrong, but we're dealing with it. How's Rome? I heard you went there in January.

And yes, Jessica is still high Queen of Malfoy's office.

Love,

Ginny

PS: THANK YOU!

**From: Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurties.wiz**

**Subject: I need you…**

**5/23/05**

To come into my office.

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: I need you…**

**5/23/05**

That subject was really weird, Malfoy. Give me two minutes.

**From: Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurties.wiz**

**5/23/05**

Now.

**From: ****roonilwazlibthemagicalministry.wiz**

**To: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**CC: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz****deathorexpullsionwitchway.wiz**

**Subject: Ginny smells**

**5/23/05**

Harry, Ginny, my love,

So, dinner tonight?

Hermione said she's making pot roast. Harry, that girl who tried to poison you with a Love Potion's plotting again, I just thought I should tell you. Maybe you didn't send the message across, literally? Ginny, I told mum you're working for Malfoy.

Hermione, what time should I be home tonight?

Love,

Ron

**To: ****roonilwazlibthemagicalministry.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: die, Ron, die**

**5/23/05**

YOU DID WHAT?!?!?!

I'm going to hex you all the way to the moon!

Love,

Ginny

PS: STO EMAILING ME I'M WORKING!

**To: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

You should act crazy again, Harry. I think that should get that girl off your back. Who is she by the way?

Hey, check Ron's email for an email to mum about my new job.

Love,

Ginny

PS: What does it mean when a guy doesn't stop staring at a woman's neck? Tell Ron I won't be able to make it to dinner.

**To: ****deathorexpullsionwitchway.wiz****loonywitchway.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurtities.wiz**

**Subject: What the hell?**

**5/23/05**

Dear Hermione and Luna;

I need answers. Okay, Malfoy called me to his office like two minutes ago and I'm confused. I don't get it.

So, here's what happened… or what's been happening. I've been working here for a week and there's something happening already! Okay, the first day, he almost- well, he did, kind of – kiss me. The worst part is that I liked it. I mean he's really good at it. (Don't tell mum, or Ron! Or Harry, or Fred and George) And I freaked out and for the past couple of days he nods at me like he doesn't know me in the morning and cozies up to his drop-dead gorgeous secretary with fake tits, and then by lunch time he's basically coming to my office every ten minutes to tell me something or to sit and chat.

I was very surprised to find out he's very funny. In a sarcastic, mean way. But it's funny.

Then by closing time, he's in another world, and just says, "Good night, Gin."

Oh! And today, he emails me this message with the subject being 'I need you…' and the actual message 'To come to my office.'

When I got in there he's sitting in his huge black winged chair and I've just gotten past Jessica, his secretary, and he's all lounging around.

"Sit down, Weasley." He said, and he sounded bored.

I sit down and I started getting nervous because today he would not talk to me. He nodded and did the hulking thing for two minutes and then two hours later, bam! That message.

"I need to ask you something." He said and then he's leaning forward, basically sprawled across his huge desk.

"Okay?" I said and I lean back because his eyes are little too intense, if you haven't noticed.

"Will you have dinner with me? Tonight?" He asked and, Hermione, you have no idea. My mind just blanked out, and I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the floor. He asked me to dinner!!! What does that mean?! I thought he hated me! I don't get it!

So, I stuttered out this really bad sounding yes, and then he's all "I'll pick you up at eight." In this really disinterested tone, so I stood up and I just walked out, and now I don't know what to do.

I do want to go to dinner with him; I just don't know what will happen.

Help!

Love, Ginny

PS: Luna, how's the shop? That's a really morbid email, Hermione.

PPS: I won't be able to make it dinner, Hermione. Sorry. :)

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**From: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**Subject: RE: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

Thanks for that piece of marvelous advice. I'll start acting crazy. Now.

WafasdfF$#$!#!#$#!$!#DsfdsffsgsdfdasfSDDdfafaF#!$RQWE!!!

She's still after me. That didn't work, Ginny.

It's Romilda Vane, Ginny. She's been after me for years and its gotten really, really scary.

I checked his email, for you and prepare yourself… he did.

What happened to the shop?

Um… I think that when a guy stares at a woman's neck, which is a pretty sexy spot, it means that they're interested. Why? Has Malfoy made some move? I'll kill him.

Love,

Harry

PS: Roonil Wazlib says to go stuff it.

**To: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

Okay, well if that didn't work you can always call someone and start, really loudly talking how you had great sex with her and ask if they want to go to a dinner later on. I think that would get the message across. Oh and make sure she can hear you.

You know, most men would be flattered that there's a crowd of women after them?

Anyway, thanks for checking. Its too late thought, I just got en email from mum.

Love,

Ginny

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**From: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: RE: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

Okay, that sounds like a good idea. I'm going to call you in one minute. Get ready.

**To: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

Oh. My. God.

Harry, you're such a pervert, I cannot believe you did that.

"I can't wait to suck on you, you screamed pretty loud when I did that, remember sexy? How about dinner?"

What the hell?

Did it work though?

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**From: ****thechosenonethemagicalministry.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Really, Harry**

**5/23/05**

It was the best I could of on a short notice. I think it worked though; she just dumped the chocolate frogs she's got spiked with Love potion in the trash.

Thanks, Gin.

**From: ****mollywobbleswitchway.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: Ginevra Marie Weasley!**

**5/23/05**

You have some explaining to do, young lady.

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****mollywobbleswitchway.wiz**

**Subject: RE: Ginevra Marie Weasley!**

**5/23/05**

Mum… relax.

This is temporary and don't believe everything Ron tells you! He's a dirty liar.

Ginny

**From: ****deathorexpullsionwitchway.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: What the hell?**

**5/23/05**

Well, Ginny. I'd say Mr. Malfoy got a crush on you.

No, seriously, that's almost exactly what Ron did when he asked me – for the third time – on our first date. Also he's confused.

Maybe he's schizophrenic?

I'm only joking.

Go out to dinner with him, and see what happens.

-Hermione

**From: ****loonywitchway.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: What the hell?**

**5/23/05**

Um. I don't know.

Go out to dinner with him. Then tell me what happened.

Also… you might need to order more of the black fishnet tops cause those sold out faster than that time Harry did that interview for the Quibbler.

Luna

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****loonywitchway.wiz**

**Subject: RE:RE: What the hell?**

**5/23/05**

Sure thing, Luna.

PS: The order forms are on the bottom left hand drawer… and order a lot.

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: Look, Malfoy. **

**5/23/05**

Look, I know I agreed to dinner, but that doesn't mean I trust you.

**From: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: Look, Malfoy**

**5/23/05**

I know. I'm picking you up at eight, and wear something nice.

-DM

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: Look, Malfoy. **

**5/23/05**

I'm going to wear a potato sack with my grandma's petticoats. Is that nice enough for you?

**From: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: RE: Look, Malfoy**

**5/23/05**

Your sarcasm is rather weak, Weasley, I expected more from you.

-DM

**From: ****gweasleymsecurities.wiz**

**To: ****Draco.Malfoymsecurities.wiz**

**Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Look, Malfoy. **

**5/23/05**

Bite me, baby.

…

**R/R!!**


	5. Dinner

**Authors Note: This chapter contains mature content.**

**5: Dinner**

Ginny stood over her bed in her lace undergarments and wondered. Was she insane? Today was her date with Draco Malfoy. He had specifically said date during closing after she spent the whole afternoon emailing the mass amount of people who had decided it was their business what she did. Ginny frowned.

And here she was, standing half naked over piles of clothes that she had tried on, rejected and tried on again.

"You're being ridiculous." Ginny muttered to herself and picked up the black dress she had just discarded. It was a pretty dress, with lace across the bust and an empire waist. The material that floated down was silky and very light, and the hem ended an inch above her knees. Ginny slid on the dress again, surprised by how comfortable she felt in it. The lace bust hugged her breasts just right, the wispy material brushed across her legs and stomach softly. Ginny decided on the dress and slid into a pair of back pumps with satin ribbons that crisscrossed up her calf and stopped midway and tied into a bow at the back. Ginny studied her reflection for a second and pulled her bright red hair loose and added black earrings. When Ginny glanced at the clock, she started. It was seven fifty five. She felt her stomach churning with apprehension. With any other man, she'd known what to expect, but this was Draco Malfoy. The only man who had ever managed to confuse her in so many levels, it was infuriating.

She tied the bows behind her legs and looked into her full-length mirror to gage the effect. Ginny was rather surprised when she liked it. She pulled her long hair into a bun with several stick straight strands of hair falling out and outlined her eyes with black kohl.

She sucked in a sharp breath and let it out loudly when the bells rang, indicating that there was someone outside her door. Ginny grabbed her long, black vinyl coat and stuffed her keys in her pockets and tried not to run to the door and wrench it open. And smile like an idiot at his silver eyes.

Instead she slid the door open and flushed bright red when his eyes widened. She could almost see him undressing her with his eyes as his gaze smoldered at her body. She mustered a polite smile, and it faltered when his gaze reached her eyes. She was stunned by the desire – no, the _need_, she saw in them. Feeling her stomach implode with butterflies and her knees weaken she stepped forward and shut the door behind her.

"Hi." She stuttered.

He cleared his throat. "Good evening. You look…" _good enough to eat_ "…radiant." Draco finished. He'd never noticed how she wasn't just beautiful; she was transcendent. Her milky skin glowed, and the black made her hair and eyes stand out. Unconsciously, he reached out and slid one of the strands behind her ear and let his hand trail down her arm, noting how her eyes flickered, and his fingers curled around hers. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes." Ginny's heart was beating so fast she thought she might have to be carted off to the hospital. His fingers were soft and they tugged her down the hall, where she got the chance to study his profile. His face was set into a cold expression and she wondered what she had done to pull that expression out of him.

"Do you like Indian food?" He asked suddenly, and Ginny was caught off guard.

"What?" She asked, staring like a moron.

"Indian food. Do you like it?" He asked, and they made their way outside to where Draco's black and silver Bentley purred, waiting for its master.

"I've never had it." She admitted. The closest she'd come to eating Middle-Easter food was eating French croissants. He opened the door to his car and she immediately stared at the twenty dials and numbers flickering in the dashboard. Ginny felt completely out of place in the car and her dislike for Bentleys doubled.

"You're going to like it." He said as he closed the door. The sunroof automatically opened with a low hiss and Ginny rolled her eyes. Fancy.

"You don't like it?" Draco asked, noticing the way her lips curled into a sneer at his pretty impressive dash.

"The car or Indian food?" She asked, and when he gestured toward the dash she replied truthfully. "Nope. Never liked Bentleys."

"Why? Women love expensive cars." Draco said. The woman confused him; she curled her lip at his VERY expensive car, and defied everything he knew – thought he knew – about women. He couldn't exactly pinpoint the day he started to want cars since he could just apparate anywhere he wanted, but he enjoyed watching the streets go by.

"I don't. I like American cars." Ginny said and smiled. She herself had a cherry red Dodge Charger with black stripes on the hood and roof of the car. It had taken a chunk of her money to have the car imported but she loved it, nonetheless.

Ginny looked out the window and saw that they had stopped in front of one of London's expensive Indian restaurants… the kind where you paid eight times what you would normally pay at a McDonalds for a steak... or whatever they had. Draco got out of the car and gave the keys to the valet and opened the door for her again. Ginny felt herself start to relax when her hand slid into his, and he pulled her into the candle-lit restaurant, Indian-style decorated restaurant. She didn't notice how almost everyone in the vicinity around her turned to stare. Draco, however, did and felt the familiar smugness of having a beautiful woman at _his_ side.

"My. Malfoy?" The maitre'd bowed and gestured them to follow him into the upper level and into a balcony where a table was set up already. Candles and a bucket of wine completed the set along with the red rose on her plate. Ginny was rendered speechless by the sight, and she stared at the silk hung from the walls and the colorful blankets and the framed painting of a woman wearing a red Indian dress with gold embroidery. When she sat down and the chair was pushed in for her, she picked up the rose, sniffed it and smiled, touched.

"This is beautiful." She said and lowered her eyes when he smoldered at her. She realized she had the tendency to loose her train of thought whenever he set those penetrating eyes on her.

"I'm glad you liked it." He said, and handed her an elegant red menu. Ginny opened in and took in the foreign food. He studied her, the way her forehead creased as she read the descriptions of the food and tried to decipher the elegant writing.

"I'll have the uh… Sag… ru- yeah. That thing." Ginny said, giving up and pointing at the menu. The waiter didn't even bat an eyelash. Draco, on the other hand, ordered a lamb dish, and nodded at the waiter who retired with a bow.

"They can't do anything to chicken to make it taste bad." Ginny muttered and was surprised when Draco let out a muffled laugh. Ginny stared. Draco laughing was completely different from the Draco she saw everyday. His face looked younger… and more handsome that she thought. Ginny committed the image to memory.

There were a few minute of silence where Ginny sat, thinking. She was enjoying herself – on a polite level but she knew she wouldn't relax until she knew why – the exact reason why – Draco had asked her out to dinner when he could be having a good romp in the sheets with his secretary like he was supposed to.

She frowned.

"Draco?" She started.

"Yes?"

"I have a question." She paused. "Why – no." She stopped, confused. What was she supposed to ask him? Oh yes. "Why did you ask me to dinner?" She blurted out.

Draco thought over her question thoroughly. Why did he?

"To discuss that particular subject… is one of the reasons why I wanted to take you to dinner." He said and watched her face carefully, for any sign of distress. "The type of conversation we are about to have is not… appropriate to have in the middle of work - which you're doing outstandingly well in, I may add. " He said and Ginny felt a twinge of guilt and waited for him to continue. He pursed his lips at her calm face.

"The type of conversation we are about to have?" Ginny asked. Her insides were at war, she could tell. She kept her face calm and blank while she wanted nothing more from him than to tell her if he mirrored what she felt.

"Yes. Personal conversation." He added and Ginny tensed.

"About?" She inquired.

Draco opened his mouth but at that instant, two waiters came and set down a silver plate filled with red… _stuff_ in front of Ginny and a plate of white rice and basket of flat bread. The other waiter served Draco his lamb in an identical silver plate, and they left with a bow.

"Is that chicken?" She asked staring at the stuff. According to the menu, the dish she had ordered was supposed to contain chicken, spinach and tomato sauce.

"Try it." He said and mixed the dish with rice and watched her pick up her fork daintily and scoop up some chicken and stuffed it into her mouth. The corner of his lips twitched when a look of concentration crossed her features and later turned into delight.

Completely sidetracked, Ginny piled the chicken onto the empty plate in front of her and then added the rice. She looked up to see Draco pouring her wine in a silver goblet. They both pretended not to notice the spark of electricity that traveled down their arms when their fingers brushed.

Ginny cleared her throat and remember why she was here. "Personal conversation." She said and Draco paused.

"Right. It's about us." He said flatly, and Ginny stopped, fork halfway to her mouth.

"Us?" she asked.

"Yes. You see, Weasley – Ginny – I have wanted to get you alone for the past week… because…" He paused and Ginny realized she was no longer chewing, and swallowed. "You have to understand… I'm not good at this." Hr finished lamely and Ginny felt disappointment well inside her. Apparently it showed on her face because he waved a hand and continued. "I need you. I have feelings for you." He said really fast, and Ginny felt her lips twisting into a smile.

"Way to dance around the subject Malfoy, I expected more from you." She joked.

"I'm being serious, Ginevra." He said, his face reflecting what he said and Ginny a foreign wave of satisfaction. He did mirror what she felt.

"I know." She said softly. "I do too," she admitted.

"And now… the question becomes…" He trailed off and Ginny finished for him.

"What to we do about it."

"Right. Any ideas?"

"I thought you would have a big master plan laid out already." Ginny said idly.

"I would, and you're the first person I'm admitting this to…" Draco laughed.

"Aw. I feel special." She quipped.

"… I honestly have no idea." He finished and glanced up, relieved when she grinned at him.

"I see. Well, maybe we should just see what happens." Ginny suggested.

Draco took this into consideration, when another idea sprung into his head.

"Come to my place. Tonight." He abruptly.

Ginny swallowed. Could she go to his place? Yes, she could. Did she know what was going to happen? She had a fairly clear idea. "Okay." She said simply and stuffed the chicken into her mouth while he stood up and grabbed her hand.

The ride to his loft was tense, and in the dark the electricity flowed between them in a mad current that had Ginny nearly hyperventilating in the big elevator that led to the top floor of a remodeled warehouse.

When he opened the door to his loft she had a mere two seconds to appraise his living quarters before suddenly, she was sandwiched between the door and his hard body. His mouth crashed down on hers and immediately, her mind swum and pure instinct took over and made her head tilt upwards and suck on his tongue.

She was hardly aware of the moan her throat let out. In fact, she couldn't hear anything over the roar of her blood in her ears and was hyperaware of the hard contours of his chest pressed against her breasts. Her hands were clamped on his shoulders and her feet were off the ground.

"Ginny." He whispered against her mouth, and his hands fluttered over her body, letting the vinyl coat fall to the floor and letting his thumbs rub her thin shoulders. She responded by arching her back and kissing him. It wasn't long before Ginny was suddenly lying on a bed of forest green silk – Draco's bed – and her clothes were being removed. The dress was pulled over her head and she was lying before him in the black lacey thong she had worn for the occasion and her pumps. Ginny took her time, sliding her lips over his chest when she had him pinned on the bed, and teased him mercilessly when she pulled his slacks off and threw them in some general direction. She kissed him hungrily and moaned delightedly when he took charge and slid the scrap of lace off her body and with a groan, slid inside her with one magnificent stroke.

They moved slowly at first with Draco supporting himself on his hands, his hips grinding against hers in a rhythm that made almost lose her mind when he leaned how to kiss her she was pleased when their bodies fit like a puzzle piece.

He increased the pace and she grabbed the sheets in a death grip and felt climax begin. At the peak, she screamed and her entire body arched, and then lunged forward to clamp herself to Draco's body, her legs wrapping around his hip and her face buried in his neck. A mere second after her, his own orgasm claimed him and he was blind to everything except the feel of her curves pressed against him,

His heart was thudding against his chest and he his breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps, like hers. Ginny's arms fell limp to her sides and his weight was on her.

"I can't… feel anything below my knees." He gasped.

"I can't move."

"Sorry. I'll move sometime in the next decade." He mumbled, his eyes closing sleepily.

"Sounds good to me." She sighed and fell asleep.

R/R!


	6. Something Deeper

**Thank you for reviewing! I'm sad to say the story is close to an end… but don't worry. I'm still toying with the idea of a sequel, although I'm not a big fan of sequels. **

**6: Something Deeper**

Ginny danced to a very un-Ginny like song currently blasting from her stereo. She swiveled her hips while cracking an egg against the pan. She ever tried singing – in Spanish, a language she was mildly fluent in – and giggled when she messed up. Immediately, she quieted, remembering that she had a guest in her home. Her room.

Remembering Draco, who was sleeping with his mouth open – drooling on her pillow -, she quieted and lowered the volume with a wave of her wand. She continued half- dancing to make herself breakfast, and she idly wondered if Draco was going to wake up soon. She stirred the eggs, not noticing the mood she was in, or the big grin plastered on her face. Her body felt so light, and limber she laughed out loud thinking that Draco had tested the limits of her flexibility several times in the night. Not minding the spilled drops of jam, she danced on her toes, and grinned when she heard a groan from her bedroom. And so the dragon rises, she thought and giggled with her hand over her mouth.

Ginny skipped over to the bedroom and leaped on the bed and astride Draco's waking form.

"Good morning, sunshine." She cooed and laughed when he pulled the pillow over his face. She yanked it off and threw it over her shoulder. "How was your night?"

"Eventful." Draco said and rubbed his eyes. He peered up at her grinning face and groaned. He was not a morning person. "Are you like this every morning?"

Ginny put a thoughtful look on her face. "No, but I'm in a very good mood today. Usually I want to snap the neck of anyone who talks to me within the first thirty seconds of becoming conscious again." She poked his chest rolled off, taking the sheet with her.

"Hey!" He complained and stared at her. She was flushed; a lovely glow on her cheeks and her eyes sparkled with something he liked. He found himself smiling at her. She grinned back at him and tossed him the sheet, letting her eyes rove over the perfect muscles of his chest.

"Check the time, Malfoy." She said and danced out of the door, leaving him alone. Her room screamed "Ginny." The big queen sized bed, the Pirates of the Caribbean sheets, the black moon chair and tall plastic lamp with multiple bulbs of different colors. He studied the desk in front of the bed, and slid to his feet and hit the space bar on the iMac in front of him. When the desktop lighted the screen, he saw several games on the dock and several folders, each labeled so he knew that this computer was her shop's database took up a large amount of space. He put the computer to sleep and looked around. The closet was open and he saw her clothes, casual on the left side and work wear- suits and pumps – on the right side.

Following her parting command, he glanced at the alarm clock and at the bells that hung over her bed. It was six thirty. He followed her into the kitchen where she was sitting at the counter, an apple in her hands.

"I need a shower." He said, and watched her hop down from the stool and stand next to him in the hallway.

"Towels are in my closet, that's the bathroom." She pointed to the door next to her bedroom. Draco glanced to the door across the hall.

"What's that?" He asked, and did not see the way her eyes grew wide with panic.

"Er… storage… for the shop. Data and charts mostly." She said and avoided his eyes by examining the green apple in her hands.

"I won't be long." He said and Ginny nodded and watched him stroll to her bedroom. He couldn't hear her heart beating and she glared at the door to her 'office.' Or what she called the Pit – short for Firestarter's Pit. Ginny shook her head and slid back on the stool, she had to tell him someday.

Draco grabbed the towel from her closet and walked out of the room, glancing briefly around and opening the door to her bathroom. He took his usual five minute shower and walking out, toweling his hair. Ginny was sitting, cross-legged on the bed eating a bagel. The shower had been too short a time for him to ponder what he did – although he could feel the aftermath of his night with Ginny – and what he was going to do.

He smiled at her and slid his boxers – washed and dried – and grabbed the other half of the bagel.

"Good morning." He said.

"Hi." She answered and motioned to the small table beside the bed that held fruit and the most delicious looking pancakes he had ever seen. "Help yourself."

"Thank you." He said and grabbed an orange.

"I enjoyed dinner with you." She said quietly, after a few minutes silence.

"I did too." He said and his brow furrowed. The dinner was meant for him to find out if the attraction was purely physical. It wasn't. Draco felt an uneasy squirming in his stomach. He was not used to this. When he glanced up and saw that Ginny mirrored his expression, he bit his lip.

She didn't know quite what to do, - or say – which was already something she had never experienced. Her early morning high was subduing.

"Dinner again?" He asked softly, meeting her eyes.

"Sure." She whispered, and closed her eyes when he reached for her; his eyes lingering on her lips.

III

Ginny's fingers stabbed the keys viciously. She was on a roll, and the base was almost complete. She had used a lot of the files Morgan sent her to help her and she could see the finish line. She glanced at the file transfers and saw several pieces compiled by the others in the cubicles and quickly assembled them, realizing they had finished the start of the program. She sent everyone a quick email and went to see Draco, striding past blonde Jessica who glared daggers.

Ginny slid easily in Draco's guest chair and waited for him to hang up the phone. When the phone clicked, she leaned forward.

"The core is finished." She said, satisfied.

Draco glanced at the calendar on his desk. His eyebrows rose. "Nice. Four days early." When he saw the easy satisfaction on her features, he smiled. "I guess I was right when I hired you."

He didn't catch Ginny's smile faltering, but she nodded anyway. "We're about to start the rest. We might finish ahead of schedule." She said.

"That's good. So… dinner tonight." He said and Ginny's eyes sparkled.

"Eight o'clock?" She guessed.

"Naturally." Draco said.

Outside, Jessica dropped her filer. Dinner? With the lowly Ginny Weasley? Jessica seethed, and narrowed her eyes at the tiny speaker that enabled her to hear everything that was going on in his office.

Her perfect – collagen filled – lips were curled over her ceramic ultra-white teeth. She had been after Draco for too long to be beaten by a redhead with bad taste in clothes. Jessica patted the lapel of her Dior suit. She licked her glossy lips and scowled. She had to get Draco. But how?

Jessica looked around, taping her manicured nails on the glass top. She hadn't been born with too many brain cells – so she opted for the most obvious and easy thing. A plan in mind, Jessica leaned back and gave the redhead a cold smile, her lips curling with disgust at the black skirt and aqua long sleeved, low necked blouse, grunged out at the hem to appeared frayed and stylishly so. Ginny returned the smile and held her middle finger at arms length, pointing at Jessica. Jessica snarled at the black pumps and seethed, answering her calls with poison in her voice.

Ginny, on the other hand, was monitoring the other's progress, taking the completed pieces of code and compiling it to complete Draco's program.

She rolled her stiff shoulders, glancing at the time on the top right corner of the computer and raising her eyebrows in surprise when she realized three hours had passed and she had been working non stop. Leaning back, she stared up at the ceiling, letting the computer beep and work on her latest compilation. She was almost done.

Would Draco still be interested after she was done?

Would he be able to look at her after she revealed at the she was Firestarter?

Would he forgive her when she told him she had crumbled his work?

Ginny's eyes closer and her muscles tensed. "Merlin, I need a vacation." She muttered. Her guilty conscience was louder lately, chastising her when she could think of something other than the next piece of code. Her brain warned her too – saying that she was going to hurt if he left her – simply because what she felt was something deeper than curiosity. It didn't help that Ginny was suddenly terrified on the 'L' word.

"You are mad," Ginny scowled. She had another date tonight with Draco – would the same thing happen? Sure she had a great time at the brief dinner – and an even better – mind-blowing and tiring – time in her bedroom, and he had been sweet to her in the morning. Ginny remembered his sleep-disheveled hair and the way he groaned at her when she had been sitting on him. Then her mind flashed to the moment where he had pointed at the door where her very illegal computers sat, and all the proof of her late night hacks were in. Ginny bit her lip, her hands clasped across her stomach. Draco thought she was helping because she knew who the Firestarter was – and because she had known and not warned him about it – and she felt responsible. Of course that wasn't too far off – considering Ginny _was _the Firestarter and she _is _responsible.

What if she got rid of her computers? And never told Draco? Ginny frowned.

Would she be able to live with herself after lying to him and never telling him the truth?

"No." Ginny muttered. She couldn't.

…

AN: The song Ginny is listening to in the morning is Calle 13's Atrevete te, te! … Just in case anyone was curious. I know… it's strange how I can be listening to Arch Enemy and then that.

R/R!


	7. Jealousy

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing… and this chapter will contain some nakedness – not on Draco's part, unfortunately – so be warned!**

**7: Jealousy**

"Women are strange creatures, Jake." Draco said and stared at his friend. Jake nodded – he had seen the looks Draco and Ginny gave each other – and thought of his own wife.

"You've been with her?" He asked, and Draco grinned.

"I've taken her out to dinner twice. It keeps getting more interesting." Draco mused.

"And you've slept with her." Jake said.

"Yes."

Jake paused, then male curiosity took over and he leaned forward. "Well?"

"She is… fierce. I had trouble moving. " Draco grinned when Jake's face took an appreciative look. "Mine." He warned. Jake held up his hands as if in surrender.

"I've got my Emily." Jake said and immediately leaned back. "You're not curious?"

"Of what?" Draco asked, putting his feet on the other chair. Ginny was in her office, typing away, and he was barely forty feet away, yet his mind wandered to her, wondering what she was doing, thinking. Was she thinking of him?

"Of why she came to help you. You never gave a straight answer, you know." Jake put his feet up on his desk and he studied Draco's face which became every thoughtful.

"She knows who the Firestarter is." Draco said and Jake stared.

"Did she tell you who it is?" Jake demanded.

"No. I haven't asked. She knew the Firestarter was going to take down my company though… and I guess she helped him and felt responsible." Draco said and wondered. The seed of doubt had been planted already.

"Ah. You know you need to find out who it is, right?" Jake asked.

Draco frowned. "Yes. She won't tell me. I know she won't tell me." Draco said and sighed. "She's a Gryffindor – they're all the same." Except for her, she was different from anyone he ever knew, and that troubled him. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder why did she know the Firestarter? Why was she keeping his identity a secret? She knew the he had to be stopped before he took over the net. Another question bloomed in his mind. Were they involved? The Firestarter and her - lovers at one point in time? He felt a stab of jealousy and he shifted uncomfortably.

Why did he care?

_Because you love her, idiot._

He stopped. Did he? The answer was seemingly crystal clear and he felt something he wasn't used to feeling: fear. Of what? Her? He snorted – then sobered. He didn't know.

Jake watched the emotions play across his boss's and best friend's face. He knew what was going on. Draco was falling – and falling hard – for the Weasley girl.

He didn't have anything against her; really, it was the company he was worried about. He knew the girl was brilliant when it came to computers but she was hired help from Draco, and had only been working for almost a month, while Jake had been working for Malfoy Securities since its birth into the world.

That gave him rights over the company, and he wondered if Draco was intending on handing the reins over to her. He wasn't sure since Draco was prone to making rash decisions – that usually ended up in making a huge profit, which is why he usually never questioned any of Draco's decisions – he didn't know he was intending handing over the reins to the Weasley girl. Jake bristled.

Draco's face was twisted into a frown, and for the first time since his teenage years at Hogwarts – he had no idea what to do.

"Ugh. Jake. She's so confusing. I think I love her." He said and Jake's eyes widened. This was unexpected.

"You think? You've known her for a month." Jake said skeptically, and Draco shook his head. "I've known her since Hogwarts. That's a longtime."

"Ah." Jake sat. This was a first for Malfoy, whose longest – and deepest relationship – had been Jessica Stanley, the sculpted blonde less than twenty feet away, and that lasted two months and four hours. According to Draco, he was close to finding his grandfather's old sawed-off shotgun to play Russian roulette with her if she didn't shut the hell up for two minutes.

Draco leaned back and stared at the ceiling, his head a jumble of thoughts.

In her office, Ginny mirrored his exact pose. On one hand, she felt something with Draco she hadn't felt in a long time, and on the other she had wrecked his company… and she lied to him about the aforementioned situation.

In truth, Ginny was terrified.

Her fingers tapped the armrest of the office chair, and she wondered. Draco had made it clear that they weren't just business associates, and they weren't lovers, Draco was something of a boyfriend, although it was a loose interpretation of 'boy.' He had made it clear that he wanted a relationship with her, and she knew that she couldn't say no. She knew already that she was falling in love with him – the man who during her school days made her life as miserable as he could – and there was nothing she could really do to stop it.

Sighing, she sat up and reached under the desk and pulled out her iBook. Ginny logged in and with a quick glance at the doorway, she angled the screen so the glare would impair the image to a person looking into her office, but not to her. Ginny typed a quick command and after busting through several hard firewalls, she was in the system.

It was completely dishonest to hack into the mail account of the man she was sleeping with but her fingers itched to find out what he was thinking. She began to type his name when something made her stop. What if…?

Ginny typed in _Jessica Stanley _and hit enter.

Her laptop hacked through Jessica's flimsy firewalls and she found herself staring into Jessica's email. Her fingers led the mouse to the inbox where she sent email to Draco every half hour on the progress of the cubicles – and her own as well – as well as memo's meetings and everything Ginny totally wasn't looking for.

Ginny glanced at the sidebar and saw several folders, each one labeled with a number. Curious, Ginny clicked on the first folder and she saw steamy emails from a certain Garret – who, Ginny noticed, was in Jessica's blocked list – and grimaced when she came across a picture of 'Garret's' naked ass.

"Not bad," Ginny muttered.

She clicked on the second folder and saw only shopping catalogs from the stores that sold a pair of flip-flops for six hundred dollars. Rolling her eyes and at the complete predictability of Jessica's character, she clicked on the third folder and nearly screamed.

Percy?! Jessica had taken advantage of her brother? God, his standards were lax. Or maybe it was the fake breasts, Ginny mused.

Pausing for only moment she clicked on the fourth folder and her jaw nearly hit the keyboard.

"Draco Malfoy, you son of a bitch!" Ginny growled, aware of the white-hot stabs of jealousy currently pounding into her spine. She gritted her teeth. She had an idea that Draco and Jessica had a fling but Draco was _hers_ now.

And with that thought, she stopped. Just what in bloody hell did she mean by _hers_?

"Oh my god, I think I'm in love with him." Ginny muttered, and for once shut off the laptop and for once didn't feel the desire to send several Trojan horses to burn Jessica's hard drive into a pile of bubbling metal.

Sitting with the truth heavy in her heart, she stared blindly at the screen, knowing that no matter how this would end, one of them would be hurt – and she was 100 positive it would be her heart who was to be broken – by her own doing.

Ginny covered her face with her hands and felt the resolute knowledge that she had to tell him, and putting on a calm mask, she got up slowly and made her way to Draco's office. She didn't glance at Jessica's desk, so it didn't register that the sultry blonde was missing from her designated spot, and with closed eyes she laid her hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open.

…

In his own office, Draco paced the room. He needed to have good, nice and long talk with Ginny, but every time he took a step towards the door, he stopped and went back to pacing.

With the idea that he could lose himself in his work, he sat down and began to monitor the progress. His own computer screen was divided into tiny little windows were he could see the re-building of the base. Thanks to Ginny, they were two weeks ahead of schedule. He was beginning to have hope for the future of the company again.

He clicked on Ginny's window and saw that she was typing again. He could almost imagine her eyes set on the screen, barely blinking and her fingers moving over the keyboard so fast her fingers almost blurred. Next he imagined her fingers undoing every button on his shirt, and then burying themselves in his hair…

Draco came very close to slapping himself across the face.

Giving serious consideration to calling it a day and then barging into a Ginny's office to do the naked tango, he leaned back again and rested his feet on his desk, and closed his eyes.

His ears didn't catch the sound of the door opening, or the sound of overpriced high heels across his carpet. The next thing he became aware of was the warm hand on his thigh and heat instantly flashed down his spine and into his loins.

A very masculine smile bloomed on his face when the hand slowly moved upward, exactly in the direction he was hoping it would go.

He said her name, and moaned when the hand began its work on a very sensitive spot and the other hand slid up his chest, and around his neck. He felt her breath on his neck and he inhaled her scent.

He froze.

Ginny did not smell like Calvin Klein's $300 perfume, she smelled like freesias. His eyes snapped open to see Jessica's face an inch from his, and he had a split second to register the shock before her mouth crashed down on his.

Draco jumped and tried to free himself from her vise-like grip when he heard the door open and Jessica jumped back, her hand still on his crotch and her lips swollen. He stared, something like fear building in the pit of his stomach when Ginny's face turned immobile, her hand reached out lean on the doorframe. Her eyes were as round as saucers, and the hurt inside them tore Draco's inside to shreds.

"Ginny - "

He barely got the word out when she turned on her heel, and clicked away. Draco slumped in the chair, his face completely white, and his thought stopped. He registered Jessica standing up and smoothing her skirt over her legs and then sliding from the room.


	8. Mistakes

**Thank you for reviewing!**

**Chapter Eight: Mistakes**

It was very easy to cover up grief with anger. For, Ginny, it was like a blessing. After crying in Hermione's lap for two days straight – and calling in sick – she draped anger and nonchalance around her like a cloak.

It was her security blanket.

On the third day of working, she slid past Draco's office and tried not to stare at the outer office – Jessica-the-slutty-transvestite's old office – being transformed into a lounge. The glass-topped desk was gone replaced with a new metallic refrigerator, a counter, and a bookshelf. Ginny ground her teeth when she saw her favorite books – the one's she had told Draco she loved – sitting on the topmost shelf. A comfortable green sofa was against the far wall, and several puffy black chairs were scattered around the coffee table. Even a window had been added overlooking the streets of London. Ginny looked closer at the drapes and saw that they were drapes from her shop.

Ginny passed by the office – lounge – quickly and threw her coat on the back of her chair and booted up the computer. They had a month and several days to go before completion, and Ginny immediately signed into the network, checked the progress, filled in several holes and began to work.

Sometime in the middle of it all, she wished very hard for a thick metal door so she didn't have to hear Draco's footsteps walking from his office, to Jake's past her own – and she refused to even turn or acknowledge him – and to the other lounge across the room. Ginny's hurt kept bubbling under the surface of her thin layer of anger, and she shoved it back, even when she felt like weeping. She had come to the resolution that he was not worth her tears. Straightening her shoulders, she typed furiously, messaging her temporary colleagues on work, and plans to make the first steps to the final process of development.

Before lunch, Ginny was reaching to her fourth of hot chocolate when the footsteps started coming closer and they stopped outside her door.

She could not stop the tears that sprung to her eyes but she gritted her teeth and tried not to crush the hot chocolate in her hands and chuck it at face. Or better yet, into his pants, and into the ballpark.

Blinking very rapidly, she sipped the now-bitter drink and began to type slowly, aware that her hands had begun to shake.

"Ginny."

Something lifted from her shoulders.

"Jake." She turned and smiled warmly, hoping he did not see her eyes glistening.

"How are you doing?" He had a very kind face and she found herself relaxing.

"Fine, great actually, we're ahead of schedule," Ginny said quickly. "You can except us to be done sometime in the next four weeks."

Jake nodded, and a strange look passed over his face and Ginny's intuition flickered. Draco had sent Jake.

Ginny narrowed her eyes and Jake laughed. "I didn't have to say word did I?"

"You did. You can tell him I'll email him reports."

"He's really sorry, Ginny."

"Yeah, right." Ginny turned back, and hoped he didn't see the tear that had overflowed. Stupid men.

"Look, it wasn't- "

"I have work to do," Ginny snapped, thanking all the Gods that her voice hadn't cracked. She didn't turn around, and resumed typing slowly, the only sign that he had left were the footsteps leading away from her office.

Ginny wiped the tears away furiously and resumed typing. Smarmy bastard, didn't even have the guts to come in her office and tell her himself what a pig he was.

"Stupid git," Ginny muttered, and stabbed the backspace key.

Her fingers stampeded over the keys until she heard a blip, and she looked up to see a window hovering over what she was typing. It was brief and clear and declared a boardroom meeting in five minutes. She glanced to the top right corner of the bad and saw that there was less than forty five minutes to check out time and she would do what she had perfected: she would throw on her vinyl coal – a long black coat that made her look sophisticated, and no less beautiful to Draco – and stride past Draco's office while he was still walking through the outer office. She would stride past, her long legs scissoring perfectly while her chin jutted out defiantly, daring him to speak to her – because if he did she was sure to chew him out, spit him out and repeat the process until the hurt was disguised with satisfaction. No doubt the timing was perfect, he would always see her and she wouldn't even glance his way.

She stood up, and stretched her arms, rolling the tension and ache from her shoulders and back that came from sitting in the same position for over five hours.

Picking up a pencil and jabbing it behind her ear, she strode past the lounge and walked down the hallway to the outer hallway of the building and slid into the elevator that promptly took her to the floor below where she didn't miss a beat an was already seven strides from the elevator before the doors finished hissing open. The black silk skirt swirled around her thighs and the black pumps with the rhinestone studded ankle straps made her legs look endless. The forest green, low cut blouse shivered against her skin coolly. She strode into the reception area of the boardroom and smiled at the pretty, but slightly chubby receptionist in black pinstriped dress pants and graphic tee.

The receptionist, Maria, shook the mane of shiny black hair from her eyes and smiled at Ginny.

"They're all there, Miss Weasley, you can go in if you like." Ginny smiled and nodded to the girl who pressed the button to allow the lock to the room to open. As she did, the intercom beeped and a voice rang out of the black telephone.

"You may take your break, Maria."

"Thank you, sir." Maria replied and waved Ginny into the room. Ginny opened the door and immediately turned to close it. She spent a few seconds staring at the door, bracing herself. She could not chew Draco out in a room full of Executives – and her bosses.

She plastered a cold, professional smile and turned. The smile froze in place and her hands dropped to her sides.

The room was completely empty.

Her gaze snapped to the chair on the far end of the room and locked into a pair of stormy gray eyes.

"You bastard." She hissed. She whirled around and yanked on the door, and when she found it locked, she let out a stream of words that made Draco's eyebrows raise.

"Your mother didn't teach you to speak like that, I hope." He said easily, and instantly regretted it.

She froze, her hand still locked around the crystal doorknob and her eyes blazed with such hurt and anger that Draco was rendered speechless.

"Ginny -," he began but was cut off by an honest to god growl that rippled from her throat.

"Don't! Don't you talk to me to, you two timing scumbag!" Ginny growled, shocked by the tightness in her throat and the need to curl up and sob hysterically. "I trusted you! I let you take me to my bed and- and as soon as my back is turned you go and fuck her? You're a despicable snake Draco Malfoy." She shouted, appalled when her voice broke on his name.

"You don't understand." Draco said quietly.

"I don't understand? Don't understand what? That you've been fooling around with that – that – Ugh! While I've been -," Ginny stopped when the tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her chin dropped and she stared at her shoes – her favorite pair of black pumps – and her hands shook with rage. Draco walked forward until he was just three feet from her instead of across the room. The teardrops made dark circles on her blouse and he felt the need to stroke the tears away.

"Ginny… I thought it was you." He whispered and failed to steel himself against her tortured expression that nearly tore him to shreds. "Ginny, please." He pleaded and took a step forward, and stopped when she cringed away from him, her head shaking wildly and the tears fell harder.

"Don't," she sobbed and wiped the tears away and refused to look at him. Her shaking fingers trembled against her face.

When her hands dropped, Draco caught them and when she tried to yank them back, his grip tightened and she shuddered.

"Ginny please, I would never hurt you." Draco whispered and pulled her to him, resisting the urge to yank him to her when her knees bent and she resisted, her head shaking. Her face turned away from him as if he was something she didn't want to see, and her lips trembled as she cried. She let out a stream of words that made no sense but Draco knew she didn't want to believe him.

"Ginny, she's been after me for years, I swear I didn't know it was her, I thought it was you." He explained and pulled. She hiccupped and finally turned to look at him.

"Y-y- you never l-lo-look when someone s-starts man-man handling y-you?" She stuttered out, and his lips twitched. Hope bloomed across his cloudy sky. She made a joke.

"I thought you were manhandling me." He said, and she stopped trying to pull away.

"Don't joke with me." She whispered, her gaze turned from him.

"You started it," he reminded her and when she didn't say anything he pulled and relief washed over him when she let him. Except she wouldn't look at him, her gaze was safely averted from him.

"Ginny." He let of her wrist, and didn't stop her when she slapped it onto her chest. She didn't resist when his fingers slid under her chin and lifted. "Look at me." Her gaze fluttered to his, and she was shocked at the tenderness she found there. In his usually cold gray eyes, there was something that made her tremble.

"I'd never hurt you, please believe me." He whispered, and leaned his forehead on hers.

It was the please that got to her and she found the will to nod and close her eyes. She forgave him, and something loosened inside her and she sagged into his arms and this time he let go when her arms slid around his neck and she leaned her head on his chest.

"Let's go home." He said.

"Where's home?" She asked, though his chest muffled her voice.

"Your place?" He asked and she pulled back to study his face.

"My place?"

"I like it." And when she smiled, her red splotchy cheeks and red eyes made her seem more beautiful. They walked together from the room and Ginny did not see the wink passed from Maria to Draco. They didn't let go of each other's hands once.

Ginny sighed against his sweet kisses and trembled under his hands. She was complete putty in his arms. He sighed into her neck and relished the feel of her in his arms.

Around two AM Ginny's head rested on chest and listened to his heart slow.

"Am I forgiven?" Draco asked and Ginny laughed.

"Just a little bit," she grinned up at him and then her eyes narrowed. "But, if this ever happens again, I'll do some unspeakable thing." Ginny bit his bottom lip.

"Don't worry, madam, I'm completely yours." He laughed.

"You bet your ass you are." She said and yawned. Her eyes closed and her hand rested on his hard stomach. She was lost to sleep and soon after, so was he.

xxx

Draco woke up to find red hair in his mouth and her arm on his forehead. He groaned at the early morning light and pulled the cover from her and slid it on him. Her response was to tug it back and Draco gave up. He nimbly picked up her arm and put it by her side and rubbed his eyes. He sighed and slid of her bed and staggered to the door. He went into the bathroom and walked out five minutes later, rubbing his hair. He paused at the door to what she had called the storage room.

There was no lock on the door and it wouldn't hurt to take a peek. The door turned easy and he pushed open the door. His gaze landed on the bulletin board on the far wall, decorated with Firestarter clippings. Then it roamed over the computers stacked on the wall to his left, to a black hoodie draped over the back of a orange chair and lastly to the main computer.

The screensaver froze him cold.

**Firestarter**

**Find the heat of the CORE**

"Fuck." Draco whispered. It couldn't be.

Draco took a slow step forward on knees that seemed to have gone strangely weak. His toes bumped into a black binder on the floor and he looked down the see Ginny's hasty scrawl over the pages. His heart stopped when he saw the portal, his username and password written underneath Fudge's email account.

It was she. Ginny was the Firestarter. Ginny had wrecked his company. Ginny reduced his life's work to rubble. His fists clenched.

"Draco?"

Her sleepy voice made him freeze. He heard her feet padding across her bedroom floor and heard the squeak of her footsteps in the hall and heard them stop abruptly. He heard the intake of breath and the three footsteps and her shadow was on front of him.

"Draco?" Her voice wasn't sleepy now, it was alert – and it was fear-filled.

He turned, and the expression on his face made her center grow cold.

"Storage, Ginny?" He snarled.

Ginny wasn't aware that she had begun to tremble. She stood in the doorway of her room, the Pit.

"Draco." She said and stopped. Her hand reached out for the doorjamb and her lips trembled.

"What." He snarled.

"It was a mistake." She whispered and heard something shatter inside her.


	9. Loose Ends

**Chapter Nine: Loose Ends**

Ginny's entire world wavered and then slowly collapsed when she took in the expression on Draco's face. The cold, hard lines of his jaw were clenched tight, no longer smiling lazily at her. His fists were clenched tight and Ginny's breath wavered shakily. She fell against the doorjamb and avoided his eyes. He radiated so much anger and power that Ginny – for the first time – was actually terrified of him. He stood in the middle on her Firestarter lair, all evidence of her illegal hacking around them and the cold, cold truth of her actions as bright as the sun. She saw recognition in his eyes that had gone the color of stormy skies and as cold as frost. Ginny's hands begun to shake and her stomach clenched tightly. It didn't matter that he stood naked in front of her. She was much too scared of him to notice it.

Right there, by his foot, written clearly in her clumsy handwriting was the password to his account – the proxy portal she had used to get into his company and Fudge's password in the black binder Ginny had thrown over her shoulders when she had completed her quest to hack into Malfoy's company. Ginny didn't have to lie to herself. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen.

Ginny swallowed. Her mind blanked and she couldn't meet his eyes, but she didn't have to. The accusations thrummed in the air and Ginny shrank before him. All her edge was gone, ripped away by the intensity of his black glare.

"Mistake?" His voice was low and so cold it cut through the air and made her shiver. Her body felt tight and light and her mind whirled. Excuses and explanations died on her lips when she panicked and looked up at his face for the first time and saw the utter rage.

"I…" Ginny motioned helplessly around the room, filled with Mac and Alienware towers. They were all off, but they were evidence against her. They seemed to point at her and taunt.

"Was it all for a laugh, Ginevra? Was all this some kind of sick fucking joke?" Draco snarled and Ginny cringed.

"No!" Ginny protested and she took a deep shaky breath. Tears stung in the back of her throat and the lump in her throat was painful. "It was all an accident, I didn't mean to – I was just… I was trying to help!" Ginny cried and she immediately regretted it. It was the absolute wrong thing to say.

"Guilty conscience, Weasley?" Draco's voice was low.

"I wanted to fix it," Ginny whispered, her insides breaking as she saw the cold resolve on his face.

"You won't be needed at the office anymore," Draco said abruptly and brushed roughly past her. Ginny didn't move an inch when she heard the rustling of clothes and the tell-tale pop that said he was gone from her apartment.

Ginny walked slowly, numbly into her room. His cold rejection hurt worse than she thought. She curled on the sheets, closed her eyes, and felt the abandonment deep in her heart.

She couldn't erase the cold expression from her mind. She saw it behind her lids and knew very well that she deserved worse than that.

Ginny hadn't quite grasped the consequence of her actions – accidental or not – they stared at her in the face now and Ginny's eyes finally overflowed. The sobs shook her shoulders and made her breath hurt her throat.

The phone rang – as it usually does at the worst moments in history and Ginny's hand crept towards the slim black phone. It beeped and Luna's voice rang into her ears.

"Luna?" Ginny wept quietly. "I really messed things up."

"I know," Luna said, very softly.

……

The entire office was aware of the change in their boss when Draco walked in at seven in the morning, and immediately – as if by a telepathic signal – they knew Ginny Weasley was involved. Murmurs echoed around the office and Draco was immune to them. Jake stared worriedly at his friend and knew that the shit had hit the fan.

Jake could only imagine what the tall red-head had done to make Draco's jaw clench and his eyes cool to subzero temperatures at the mention of her name or of the program she was restoring. He took it upon himself – as a friend and partner of Malfoy Securities – to find out what had happened. He looked out for any sign of Ginny but at ten forty, it finally sank in that she wasn't coming in. Her office still looked cluttered with her things, and her computer was still running. There was a picture of her and boy-who-lived taped to the bulletin board along with several post-its and scraps of paper with her scrawl in black pen.

He walked as casually as possible to Draco's office, pausing briefly when he entered the lounge. Jake knocked on the door to Draco's office and only received a very curt 'I'm busy' in a deathly cool tone.

Jake sighed. He went in anyway, bearing the annoyed and look on Draco's face when he walked forward to sit on the high backed chairs.

"Jake, I said I was busy," Draco growled.

"I know, and I really want to go home to my wife, but I have this to think of. Now what happened?"

It was one of the lower points about being friends with someone for so long they knew every nook and cranny of you, Draco mused. Jake was very perceptive and he proved it today by looking into Draco's face and waiting patiently.

"She did it," Draco finally said. The betrayal that burned in his stomach boiled against his iron control. He gritted his teeth and his face hardened.

"Did what?" Jake asked slowly, although he had an idea that he feared was right – and Jake was very rarely wrong.

"She's the Firestarter, Jake! Ginny Weasley broke into my company and destroyed everything. Everything, goddammit. She had everything: my password, my portal; she had my whole company mapped out in her fucking house!" Draco seethed. Draco's fist clenched and Jake didn't move.

He didn't tell Draco that he had his own slight suspicions of her. After all, why would a_ Weasley _of all people want to suddenly help? How would she know about what happened? He hadn't believed her excuse that she had known the Firestarter, but he liked Ginny. She was good for Draco. And she had helped immensely. Jake didn't say anything to Draco's rants.

"You don't look surprised," Draco said. He had been brought out of his enraged reverie by the thoughtful look on Jake's face.

"I'm not," Jake admitted.

"Why the hell not?" Draco demanded; his eyes were narrowed.

"You don't have to demand anything of me, Draco. I just didn't believe what she said about knowing the Firestarter. I'm actually pretty surprised you did. Or did you know it, and didn't want to believe it?" Jake mused and Draco's face froze.

Draco himself was a master of self-deception. He had perfected the art of lying to himself at Hogwarts and it had continued through the years to become a perfect blank face. Draco swallowed. He had known. He was intelligent enough to see through Ginny's pitiful lies about the whole situation. Ginny's story had so many holes and mismatched truth that a person with an IQ of ten would have figured it out that all her computer knowledge wasn't because she knew the Firestarter – that it was because she _was_ the Firestarter. Ginny's knowledge and guilty expressions gave her away every time and yet Draco had ignored it. Because he loved her

The rage welled up inside him again, but behind it the terrible pain she caused burned with no end and Draco brought his hands up so the heels of his palm rubbed against his eyes.

"Jesus, Jake," Draco whispered.

It was so obvious now and Draco wanted nothing more that to hurt her.

"I know, Draco," Jake said and recognized three very simple facts about Draco at that exact moment: Draco loved Ginny Weasley and vice versa, Ginny Weasley had hurt Draco Malfoy and they both were now at a point where it was all or nothing. Jake thought that it resembled some sort of sick Muggle soap opera. He kept his observation to himself and settled comfortably.

"She's got us ahead. We'll finish in two weeks – maybe less," Jake said and Draco threw him a sour look.

"I know she got us ahead. So what?"

"So, she really tried to help," Jake said easily and didn't feel the tremble most people did when Draco unleashed his full death glare.

The look died quickly. "She said she didn't mean to," Draco said softly.

Jake nodded. He may not know Ginny personally but he knew she wasn't vicious like Jessica. She was kind and way too feisty for his taste – but she wouldn't tear Draco down on purpose. He could see that Draco was coming to the same resolve.

A brief, but hesitant knock on the door brought them both out of their stupor and Jake's assistant – Maria – poked her head in, looking dubious about something.

"Er. There's someone out here that wants to collect Miss Weasley's things," Maria said and waited. Draco's face shut down and he stood to his full height and walked around the desk to Maria. She opened the door wider and Draco braced himself to face her.

It wasn't Ginny.

Pale blue eyes looked fearlessly back up at his and a completely serene expression made her face smooth and blank. No trace of any emotion showed on Luna Lovegood's face and Draco was thankful. No accusations or hate glared for her eyes. Draco visibly calmed and nodded. He knew Luna was Ginny's best friend and he expected some degree of viciousness. He followed Luna's slow, purposeful steps to Ginny's deserted office where Luna pulled out a black tote bag from the brown leather bag she carried and began to place each of Ginny's possessions in the bag. She took the tack off the moving photo of her and Harry, smiling toothily into the camera and slid into her pocket. She didn't seem to mind that Draco and Maria were watching her every move. Luna dropped the Sneakoscope into the tote bag along with Ginny's favorite pencil and several knick knacks and Ginny's personalized coffee mug.

"It'll be nice – going back to Dad's Quibbler headquarters," Luna said serenely and Draco didn't say a word. Maria's eyebrows lifted and she stared confusedly at the blonde woman who looked as if she didn't have a care in the world. She wouldn't be the first one to look at Luna with what particular expression. "Ginny's taking over the shop again, thank goodness. Running a business is a lot harder than it looks, but you would know that," Luna continued and dropped the last thing – a framed photo of herself and Ginny holding a silly pose.

She smiled. "Thank you for letting me take her things," Luna murmured and moved past Draco to follow Maria outside again. Draco was frozen on the spot, staring at the now blank walls and empty desk. Ginny's presence was now stripped off his office building – and for once Draco didn't know what to feel.

He couldn't muster the cold-heartedness that would have usually allowed him to brush her off without a second though. A deep sorrow was churning deep in his gut, but Luna's words rang in his ears. She was in Diagon Alley.

Still, it meant nothing. Draco took the few seconds in the bare office to pull himself together and faced the timid expressions of his people. He walked purposely back to his office. Jake took one look at his friend's face and took charge.

It took a huge amount of love and pain to make someone bear the lost expression Draco bore on his face. The panicked look in his eyes did not match Draco Malfoy – but it was there. Jake looked after Draco's back for a moment and then moved on the puzzled programmers.

"Back to work," he ordered and went back to his office.

…….

After a brief pause in the back doorway of the shop; Ginny sat down on her orange computer chair and began booting up the shop's registers and computers. It felt so strange to be back in her shop again – almost as if she was coming home. She had shed the business-woman look that she had worn when she had been working for Draco and was now back to the grunge skirt, gray pumps, spiked belt and a top from her shop.

She allowed herself s brief, sentimental moment. She gazed around the shop, her eyes drifting over every bit of merchandise – from the vintage clothing to the accessories to the specialty items to the books and finally to the archway that led to her Café. She ran her hands over the dark wooden counter and sighed.

Ginny flipped the 'Closed' sign on the door so Open faced the door. Light immediately flickered to life and small gadgets followed suit. Trance music flowed of the floating speakers and Ginny spoiled herself by putting in The Crow soundtrack instead.

After nearly three months of being away from her shop, an after the fifth person that welcomed her back after an hour of being open, Ginny came to the conclusion that people had actually missed her. It hadn't occurred to her that people might actually miss her presence and her shop.

She rung up a teenager with a septum piercing and sat back down, looking around her room and realizing how that she had actually missed her shop. She had to go over the orders Luna had sent and over the stock currently stored in the storage room. Ginny's fingers flew over the keyboard once more.

Typical. It was just typical for his mother to send him to Ginny's shop to buy her a purse. Goddamn the women and their obsessions with purses! Draco cursed mentally, entering Ginny's shop and ducking away quickly. He was immediately aware of the sound of clacking keys. She was there. If he peeked over the tall rack with the headbands, he could see her red hair. He peeked over more and saw the concentrated expression on her face and the way she chewed on her lip while her fingers became blurs.

Merlin save me, Draco thought and he bolted. The bells barely rung when Ginny looked up confusedly. She hadn't noticed anyone coming in.

_**3 Weeks Later**_

Ginny's eyes fell on the latest issue of the Quibbler. A moving picture of Draco Malfoy was on the cover, standing behind a row of Macs, an arrogant smile fixed on his face. With trembling fingers, she read the article written by Dean Thomas. They called Malfoy's new upgrade a success.

So, he had done it, Ginny thought. He had covered up the fiasco she had caused by saying that he was actually releasing a new upgraded version of Malfoy Securities. A lump rose in Ginny's throat as she saw the new design – her interface design, the interface she used to hack – on the animated photo. There was a listing of all the programmers and workers that had put all their efforts into the application and Ginny felt nothing but a cold emptiness when she saw her name. At the very bottom was her name and instead of the relief she though she'd feel, there was nothing.

She had known a few days prior about the release and was aware that the Wizarding community was calling it the most successful program out there.

She was glad for him.

She couldn't muster feeling betrayed an angry because she couldn't. She loved him and didn't have the right to feel anything but self-pity and regret for all the secrecy and her actions.

She finished reading the article after contemplating crying in public and going home and crying some more, she shoved the magazine back and walked slowly back to her shop, glad for having something to do. It helped when Ginny had something to do to keep her mind of things.

Ginny decided that she needed to remodel and to expand. The shop was bigger now, and flashier with purple, silver and black lettering. It brought a smile to Ginny's face when she thought of her new shop – and it was even better when the customers doubled. She rounded the corner and stared. She stopped dead in her tracks and closed her eyes quickly at the blonde figure that stood before the display window of the shop, surveying her newest products – among them was his program.

She kept her eyes down, her feet moved forward again, and she ignored the gaze that burned the side of her face when she unlocked the door to her shop. She didn't spare him a glance.

"Ginny," he was the first to speak.

She stopped, but didn't dare move.

His face was not friendly.

"We have some loose ends we need to tie up," Draco said finally.

Three weeks had been enough. It had been enough for Draco Malfoy to convince himself that Ginny was a thing of the past, but one look at her face and his resolve was gone. It shook him to the core when he realized how much she really meant to him.

Ginny's face was carefully blank, only quick flashes of panic gave away the turmoil inside her.

"Do we? I thought it was all...done." Ginny nearly choked on the last word. Her insides relaxed fractionally when the door opened and the crowd of teenagers walked in. Ginny took that chance to move nimbly away from him and behind the counter.

"Ginevra," his voice was low, but she heard it.

"What do you want?" Ginny whispered, afraid her heart might break once more.

"Loose ends."


	10. Wake Up

Author's Note: The end has come! Thanks to everyone for reviewing!

**Chapter Ten: Wake Up**

Song: Wake Up, Emigrate

There are times that a person wishes that the world would just implode into nothing– or that the floor would open up and swallow them whole – and maybe just leave a few scraps of clothes behind of as the reminder of the pathetic existence of said person.

In Ginny's mind there was the endless turmoil of pain – both physical and a never-ending heartache she thought she's buried when she had really just covered up with her shop and busy nights, barely enough sleep to function, and hard music. She wished infinitely that world just swallow her whole. She wished she wasn't just standing in front of Draco Malfoy's loose ends, and handsome face that she was so irrevocably in love with.

Her hands began to shake and suddenly there was a horrible tightness in her throat, her stomach dropped like a weight, her brain froze all thought processes and suddenly there was the urge to turn and run – while sobbing hysterically – and to hit everything within reach.

Standing - safely protected behind the counter at her shop - Ginny contemplated her options. She could go to the back, close the shop and ignore his existence, or have whatever it was he wanted right then and there – in public or not. While mulling over her options she was reminded of a single, but very large factor that influenced her decision.

She was a Weasley.

She turned, hands resting on the lower counter and looked – cool brown eyes to meet his blank gray ones – at his face.

"What loose ends?" She asked and gained an ounce of confidence when her voice didn't shake or break.

The teenagers moved closer to them, examining the headbands, and accessories. The voices of the three girls overlapped the boy's and Draco suddenly felt the need to grab Ginny's trembling shoulders and shake her violently to make see the obvious. Merlin, couldn't the woman see he couldn't let her go?

Ginny's hands were flat out shaking now and Draco was suddenly surrounded by sixteen-years olds that were oblivious to the palpable tension – each one with a handful of merchandise and Ginny came very close to screaming that the shop was closed.

"Excuse me," Ginny said, avoiding his eyes, glad for the sudden abundance of teenagers in Diagon Alley that day and very slowly rang up, bagged their merchandise and wished them a very nice day.

The sudden silence seemed very loud and Ginny felt very suffocated by it and his very presence.

The shop was empty again. Draco's footsteps were slow when he walked over to the door and flipped the Open sign so 'Closed' faced the outside and Ginny's teeth locked together. The atmosphere was suddenly very tense – almost palpable when Ginny swallowed, suddenly not being able to look at him in the eyes. She stepped away from the counter – as far away from him as she could get without having to reach out for anything remotely close to him.

"Now that my shop is closed, you'll have to leave I- I have-" her voice broke and her eyes clamped shut and her nails dug crescent moons into her palms "- things to do." She finished the sentence after swallowing.

Draco had no idea what he was doing. His bran was absolutely blank – he had no protocol on what to do when the woman he loved was close to an emotional collapse in front of him.

Whoa. Woman he loved? His hands froze on the process of laying them on her counter.

"What?" He breathed – mostly to himself.

"If you didn't hear - " Ginny said and pursed her lips, a twinge of anger bubbling in her stomach.

"No, not that!" Draco said impatiently. Was it true? He knew he cared for her, but loved? The concept of loving her had come to him after Jake's words the week before, but the reality of it had never set in his mind until that very second.

But could he forgive her?

Draco's train of thought stopped. He could, he realized, because it had caused her as much pain as it had him when she accidentally deleted his software. He could, because he loved her.

"Oh." He said and Ginny took a tiny step back.

"Look, Malfoy, you just closed my shop and I have stuff to do, so if you could step out – what are you doing?" Ginny's panic suddenly bubbled and she began to shake.

Draco came around the counter, behind the register and stared down at her face. She stared back.

"I don't think I'll be able to forgive you, Ginevra," he breathed and Ginny's hand clapped to her mouth. Tears sprang up in her eyes and she felt with the other hand for the counter.

"But its such a strange fact that I'm hopelessly in love with you," Draco's head was cocked to the side studying her.

"What the bloody hell are you on?" Ginny gasped out, truly and utterly confused. The confusion helped her regain her balance but did not prepare her for his assault.

His lips, the lips she thought she'd never taste again softly brushed hers and a tear overflowed.

"Don't do that to me, please." Ginny whispered, her hands flat against his chest.

"I used to think I was a heartless bastard, but you proved me wrong. I used to think forgiveness was for fools – and that I'd never be able to forgive you for ruining me – even if it wasn't intentional. I used to believe that I was not capable of feeling love, but only lust and you proved me wrong yet again," Draco said and Ginny's knees began to shake.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked. Her ears couldn't believe what they were hearing and her mind less.

"How think is your skull, Weasley?" Draco held her head in his big hands and she gripped his wrists tight.

Ginny blinked.

"I'm saying that I forgive you, and that I love you, and that I want you back, you silly twit," Draco said and felt the world come off his shoulders.

"Shut up, you're lying," Ginny's eyes shut and she fought against the feelings that welled up at his impossible words.

"Ginny, open your eyes."

Not immune to his words, her eyes fluttered open and he kissed her, again, and again, and again, and again, until Ginny's arms were wrapped around his neck and she was crying.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," she said between kisses and crying.

"How's the Firestarter?" Draco asked and Ginny burst out laughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They kissed until the Closed sign was flipped and Ginny was left, laughing and offering eternal servitude and Draco guaranteeing it with a diamond ring with the Malfoy crest embedded on gold of eternal union.

_End_

AN: I'm a sap at heart. What do you think? R/R


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